Good Eats

Published 12:25 am Sunday, July 26, 2015

Tara Pierce, with the End Zone, serves up chicken wings during Taste of Ironton on Saturday.

Tara Pierce, with the End Zone, serves up chicken wings during Taste of Ironton on Saturday.

 

t could definitely be a problem, but a good problem to have.

“I think we might run out of food,” said Steve Call, one of the Taste of Ironton organizers, as he watched a block-long line of potential diners snake through the white tent set up in the Ironton Farmers Market parking lot on Saturday.

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That was the same concern Call had at the recent beer fest.

“My expectations have been overwhelmed,” he said.

The inaugural Taste of Ironton, hosted by Ironton aLive and local restaurants, was expected to attract 300.

“We really exceeded that,” Call said.

Seventeen vendors brought out their best items like the End Zone where owner Rick Haynes served up five different kinds of wings — mild, hot, garlic parmesan, barbeque and teriyaki.

“These are our best sellers,” Haynes said. “I am so excited about this. What this group has done for the community. We need more of this. People will go out to help each other.”

One person who was not sampling the wares at the Taste was 9-month-old Arabella Griffith, who took spoonful after spoonful of pureed apples and chicken that her mother Michelle Griffith was offering.

However mother and Arabella’s brother, Kaleb, 5, were taking full advantage of the event.

“What haven’t we tried?” Michelle asked. “This is great for the town.”

Besides the vendors, diners could listen to the Irish jigs of Kelley’s Bridge, let their children play on the inflatables or learn about other organizations in the area like the Lawrence County Historical Society that was giving out lemonade.

“This is something unique,” Call said. “The restaurants are introduced to Lawrence County and Lawrence County gets to meet our restaurants.”